Wednesday 11 March 2015

"My Dinner With Casey Donovan", Theatre Passe Muraille, Toronto, ON

This evening Gord and I saw the play My Dinner with Casey Donovan.

The Cabaret Company presents "My Dinner with Casey Donovan", the newest work by Sky Gilbert, a touching comedy about what happens when you bring a porn star to dinner.

Through some insane stroke of luck, gay porn star and godly creature Casey Donovan (Nathaniel Bacon) has accepted closeted Calvin's invitation to have dinner together. Together with Calvin's parents (Elley-Ray and Ralph Small), that is, since 25-year-old Calvin (Michael DeRose) still lives at home. The only catch is Calvin's parents don't even know he's gay.

In "My Dinner with Casey Donovan", audiences explore a tale of sexual liberation, parental love and independence from our parents that may not be new but is still very relevant. 

It is playing from this evening 'til March 22 at the Backstage Theatre at the Theatre Passe Muraille (Queen W/Bathurst) and is 75 minutes long (there is no intermission).


It starts off with a brief showing of one of Casey's porn flicks.  Then we are introduced to Calvin, a gay 25-year-old.  He's freaking out because he invited Casey to supper at his parents' place ... and Casey accepted.  What follows is the dinner and the reactions to it.

Michael DeRose was excellent as Calvin who is lacking in confidence as is Nathaniel Bacon as the confident porn star, Casey, who oozes calmness.  It's set in 1973 and Elley-Ray and Ralph Small play 1970s parents well as they don't realize their son, who his mother babies, is gay.

It's a funny play yet has it's moments of seriousness.  The coziness of the Backstage Theatre works well. as the actors use every inch of it.

I enjoyed it and recommend that you go see it.  As a head's up, there is swearing and adult activity.

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